Ornamental Motifs and Symbolic Interpretation of Macedonian Embroidery

The continuos process of supporting old traditions transferred from one generation to another is kept to the present day and many ornamental motifs are authentic even from the prehistoric culture. Various prehistoric ornamental motifs and symbolic notions that have been found even in the oldest civilizations (Egyptians, Greeks, the Eastern peoples) as well as the Balkan autochthonous peoples (Illyrians, Thracians) which does not exempt their occurrence in the Ancient Slavs, have been preserved to the present day as basis of the Macedonian embroidery, for example the rectlilinear – geometrical motifs, the swastika, meander, S-motifs, tree of life, two-headed eagle and others.

The swastika, a very old and broadly applied motif, known in the Neolit period to the present day with its basic denotation as a celestial symbol, in the Macedonian embroidery is very limited. But, its broad application on some older pieces of cloth for the head as well as on some Easter eggs from Macedonia indicates the extensive use of this prehistoric motif even in the Macedonian national embroidery. On the other hand, there are traces of this prehistoric motif in Macedonian folk embroidery in its modified versions. Specifically characteristic of almost all Macedonian embroidery is the S-motif also known in the prehistoric cultures, which genetically originates from the swastika.

Individual traces of old motifs from the primeval cult symbolism can be found today in the names of the many preserved motifs. For example, kolo, vrteshka, ognila, zmiulka (snake), rogovi (antlers), mechkina stapalka (a bear footprint), pauni (peacocks), konychinya (horses with six wings), korenya (roots), amaylii (charms), devojkino oko ( a girl's eye) and many others. Some of the animals, plants, various objects and phenomena played a special role in the life, customs, and convictions of the populace. But today all of these ornamental motifs have lost their what was once a symbolic and mystic significance and kept the the their ornamental decorative nature or related to various realistic notions of everyday life.

A specific characteristic of the Macedonian embroidery is their ornamentation which is mostly evident in a geometrical approach. Not as often in combination with the geometrical motifs are the florid vegetal motifs whereas the phenomenon of zoomorphic and anthropomorphic motifs is very restricted. Very often it is the meaning of the ornament is not clearly defined even more so with their transition from one generation to the next, from one place to another, they were modified and lost their rudimentary meaning becoming almost abstract geometrical forms.

The geometrical motifs are most extensively applied – from simple rectilinear and zig zag lines to complex geometrical forms. The most common are the triangle, square, rhomboid, circle, cross and the eight-angled star where they denote their actual geometrical meaning or they have another meaning such as koltse, amayliche, vrteshka, pilinya, zmiitsa, mechkina dira and others which contain elements of the cult symbolism. Particularly the geometrical motif kolo and koltsa as well as the eight-angled star known as vrteshka characteristic for the bridal shirts of the Prilep and Bitola Plain (76, 82). These have association to the ancient motifs that symbolised the sun, motion or a cycle in general.

The pure form of geometrical motifs is present in the embroidery of Kumanovo, Skopska Crna Gora, Kichevia and Poreche. The cross known as an ornament even in prehistoric times is present in almost all of the Macedonian embroidery in various styles (33, 40, 65, 89). The S-motifs are particularly typical for the Macedonian embroidery known as kluchinya and kuki (76, 90, 108). They appear in other parts of the costume as well not only the embroidery. They are typical for the bridal socks of the Lerin River costume known as ognila (120).

Of the vegetal motifs the layered rose is most applied, geometrically stylized as well as many other flowers with or without leaves depicting a flower in general (58, 59, 101). The lily and carnation (13, 20, 66, 98) are not as frequently applied. On many occasions the eight-angled star is identified as a flower by the embroiderer for example as junjule in the Ohrid embroidery(48). Sometimes the name only implies to a motif of a vegetal nature, for example shapki (the Prilep and Bitola Plain). The leaves are also classified under a general name lisya from which the stylistic oak leaves (80, 82) are of particular interest. Most typical vegetal embroidery motifs of the Ohrid Plain and the Stuga Drimkol are the stylized flowers with leaves and vetki known as gyulchinya (37, 40, 42, 46).

Not so often stylized branches appear even though it is common for any larger ornamental entity that is reproduced several times to be denoted as a veyka or vetka. In Mariovo the side embroidery of the lower end of the shirt is known under the common name granki no matter what the primary idea is. In some of these examples, there are distant traces of Oriental symbolism such as the tree of life in the embroidery of the Ohrid Plain (48). Some Mariovo embroidery also relates to this which even though is gradually fading it still has the basic elements. The korenye in the center and the motifs ushatka and kriltsa symmetrically arranged on the sides which are probably reminiscences of stylized birds (98).

Individual ornaments correspond to zoomorphic and anthropomorphic motifs primarily to the actual form or to the name itself even though they are presented in geographic stylization which does not in itself include their rudimentary symbolism which today is forgotten. Examples of this are zmiulka (21), zmiitsa (15), pauni (only the tail), pile i devojka (32), zrtsala (stylized human eyes, 48) and others. The two-headed eagle is present in the embroidery of Mariovo and Polog, identified under various names (21), whereas the stylized human figures dancing in a circle (kolo) is present in the embroidery f the Struga Drimkol (37, 40).

Besides there are many other authentic ornaments, which even though are vague, imply to ancient ornamental forms whose primary interpretation is entirely forgotten such as tsarei glae and other similar motifs (20,22, 70). In the other hand, the numerous intermingled interpretations that the person embroidering interpreted as ornamental motifs complicate their accurate grouping, that difficulty coupled with teh fact that they are geometrically determined by the very technique - "embroidering on a string"..